Login / RegisterApplicant sues UBC
A UBC law-school graduate, screenwriter, and PhD is suing UBC for hiring a filmmaker with no degree as an assistant professor of theatre, film, and creative writing instead of him in 1995. The successful applicant, Peggy Thompson, has since been promoted to chair of UBC's creative-writing program.
Gordon Roback, who has a PhD in film production from the University of Southern California, filed his suit in 2002 against UBC, alleging fraud, breach of contract, false advertisement, negligence, and bad faith. In a recently revised statement of claim, he argued that UBC violated one of its own policies by not hiring based on merit. Roback's claims have not been proven in court. He is seeking $2.2 million for 23 years of lost wages.
Roback also claimed that the UBC job posting violated the B.C. Human Rights Code "since it offered women a higher salary and academic rank than men". UBC has filed a statement of defence denying Roback's allegations.
Thompson wrote the screenplay for the film Better Than Chocolate (1999) and won a Genie Award in 1993 for the script of The Lotus Eaters. She also writes for TV series such as Da Vinci's Inquest, Big Sound, and Weird Homes. Roback cowrote the film Money (1991) and recently directed his first feature film, Just Another Night.
